Bimmer711

Hello everyone this is my first post, i am a 27 year old male I recently quit alcohol 60 days ago I was drinking for 5+ years daily 4-10 units. The first week was hard but life was getting substantially better. Up until about one week ago I had chest pain and severe fear that i was about to die. At the hospital everything checked out and they told me I had a panic attack. This past week I have had severe anxiety almost every hour of the day debilitating.

This anxiety /panic all started overnight like nothing I have ever experienced before. Does this sound normal to anyone? If so how long can this last ? It is very scary but seems like paws to me. I had no symptoms and felt great but when I hit about 50 days sober life got almost unmanageable. Some encouragement would help. My anxiety has me housebound and I am not an anxious type. Thanks

Stayingsassy

No, severe anxiety 2 months in is not normal. It sounds like anxiety disorder. Go back to your doctor and ask if there might be some medications or therapies that might help.

Dee74

Hi Bimmer - welcome

I was subject to panic attacks before I quit drinking so they were definitely a part of my early recovery.

You'll find a number of folks who've share your experience of sudden onset of panic attacks, I think.

I hope you'll hear from them soon.

ps experience only thanks, everyone,
no diagnoses please, no medical advice.

Dee
Moderator
SR

Stayingsassy

Sorry, dee.

I'll reiterate seeing a doc though. Panic is horrible. No need to suffer in that way.

Atlast9999

I’ve experienced the same: major chest pain in a panic attack. I also get major chest pain with heartburn. It could be so many different things- definitely worth a visit to the dr.

neferkamichael

Bimmer711, 60 days sober is just FANTASTIC, congratulations. By all means have a doctor examine these problems, but don't count out your AV(Addicted Voice), it is one sneaky SOB and will use every trick in the book to make you drink. Rootin for ya.

matrac

There is help for panic disorder, but the sooner its treated, the better.

apollo986

My anxiety began to lessen substantially at a round the 60 day mark. Nice job on 60 days!

Dave42001

Nice job on 60 days!!

I started my recovery when I was 45. 20+ years of drinking and drugging. It took me over a year to feel somewhat normal, maybe 2 years. That’s just me.

Alcohol takes a long time to get out of the body’s system that’s a fact. You’re still young and kudos to you for choosing to quit now!

I can totally relate to the anxious feelings and all of the side effects, I totally get it and it’s real and it’s awful!

Keep up the good work, what helped me was eating clean and good healthy food, exercise or even walking till I was totally exhausted I went to a lot of meetings where I met a bunch of buds that were trying to get and stay sober too and felt the same way I did.. read a ton over recovery stuff, went to movies to excape a few hours, went to bed early and repeated!!

You’re doing a great job, 30,60,90 days are huge milestones, take it one day at a time.. sharing here helped me dearly and I still hang out here daily!!

Wishing you the best, Friend!! It gets better!

Branches

In my experience with panic attacks and anxiety, they seem to beget each other. You have a big whopping panic attack and think you're gonna die. You don't. But then you sure as heck hope you don't have another one when you're at work or with friends or out driving or . . . or . . . or you worry it's something else. Something REALLY wrong with you. Next thing you know, the worry about having a panic attack actually gives birth to a panic attack and anxiety. It's no fun. When I saw a doctor, I got reassured. When I started therapy and addressed what my anxiety was "masking," which was depression in my case, they faded away. Now they're a once-in-a-blue-moon thing. I did get one whopper when I was one week sober as well as some anxiety, but that's subsided. I encourage you to talk to your doctor. Congratulations on your 60 days!!

DarklingSong

Hi Bimmer,
I had the same experience. The racing heart, pain and shortness of breath finally resolved at around 100 days. It was a nightmare at the time. I had multiple tests that didn't identify a cause. By all means go back to your doctor for peace of mind; once I knew the tests were ok, it helped a lot.
I believe my whole nervous system was out of whack after i quit and it took a while to settle down. I went back to drinking and now have the same symptoms to contend with with 30 days sober. Try and drink lots of water, and stay away from caffeine- it magnifies the symptoms by a hundred.
Well done on 60 days. Keep going.....it will get better.

Dee74

how are things Bimmer?

D

Livlib

WeThinkNot

I just passed the 20 month mark of sobriety and I'm still suffering the effects of PAWS. The absolute peak was at 10 months, I was questioning whether the panic attacks I was experiencing were a precursor to a heart attack.

I've found that my "episodes" are fewer and farther in between with more sobriety but that does not mean they are any less unpleasant. Unfortunately there is a price to pay for the decisions I've made in life.

All of the literature I've read concerning PAWS suggests it takes about two years for the brain to reach equilibrium.

netrangercda

Cut out caffeine and refined sugar. That should help with your anxiety.

Gottalife

I had what might be called anxiety attacks in the first couple of months sober. They hit every three or four days. I had a great sponsor who talked me through them and helped me unravel the causes. At the same time I was working the steps and in step four began to see how I was the author of most, if not all, of these incidents. By month three I was into step nine when everything seemed to change. Those attacks ceased almost completely, probably about three in the last thirty years.

There was a lot of fear in my early sobriety, fear that I would not make the grade, that AA would ot work for me, which I guess was part of it too. But that fear was my friend as it turns out. It provided the motivation to get cracking in the program which ultimately saved my life.

Spybee007

I had panic attacks before I ever had a drop of alcohol. Read as much as you can about anxiety and what to do during a panic attack, it will help believe me. I notice as I get older I’m better at recognizing the beginning of a panic attack and talking myself out of it from going full on panic attack. Anxiety can cause sooooo many different physical symptoms that you get a new one and think so this is how I die? I haven’t been sober very long, but I have a little less anxiety waking up and remembering that I didn’t drink last night. Anxiety is supposed to be how we know there is a problem to be solved, just know you’ve solved one, by getting sober.

SoberCAH

My anxiety attacks went away after the 1st year or so.

The GAD didn't, however, so I opted to go to a psych doctor and get meds for them.